Tag: #pink

Summer to Spring

In Naples, Florida in late April the weather was hot and sunny every day; temperatures would typically climb to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Somedays, the heat and humidity were annoying.

So we drove north for two days to our Western Pennsylvania home and voila — the weather here is cloudy and rainy with temperatures in the mid-50s. This Spring weather can be kind of annoying too, especially when it’s time to walk the dog.

The silver lining of this “time travel” from summer heat to spring rain is the blooming dogwood. Our home is surrounded by four dogwood trees, blooming now in pink and white blossoms. In between rain showers, I took a few photos.

pink dogwood
When the pink dogwood blossoms first open, their color is darker and more vibrant.

I’m trying out my Macro lens, since I’m going to be taking a class in Macro Photography next week. I’m on my way to Tucson, AZ in a few days for the North American Nature Photographers’ Association Summit Meeting.

Strength in Community

Sharing positive thoughts and staying in touch with each other during the Coronavirus pandemic will help all of us stay strong as we self-isolate to keep our community healthy. I’m grateful that this photography blog has created a positive online community, and I encourage you to make it stronger. You might follow the blog by entering your email address on the site, and recommending the blog to friends and family. This artist is not seeking financial gain (there is none). The rewards are purely spiritual.

One member of our community asked for more flower photographs and flower names, as she wrote, “I love to learn more about flowers.” (She is also an animal lover.) So, today I bring you the Hong Kong orchid, photographed at the Naples Botanical Garden this year. I first discovered the Hong Kong orchid — where else — in Hong Kong in 1998 while visiting friends there. Now I count myself very fortunate that the orchid trees thrive in tropical southwest Florida, and I have one of these trees on my street.

#orchid, #orchidtree, #hongkong, #hongkongorchic, #growontrees, #florida, #naplesbotanicalgarden, #naplesflorida, #gardens, #botanicalgarden, #pink, #bluesky, #nature, #naturephotography
The Hong Kong orchids grow on trees in tropical climates from Hong Kong itself to Florida, USA. 2020
#hongkongorchid, #hongkong, #flower, #nature, #tropical, #pink, #fuscia,#naturephotography, #flowerphotography, #florida, #naples, #community
Close up of the delicate petals and stamen of the Hong Kong Orchid in Naples, Florida. 2020

Do you have a request for the photography featured in the blog? Flora? Fauna? Tropical or Snowy? I still have an archive of Nature, Wildlife and Landscape photography from Jackson Hole and Southwest Florida, but I’m always excited to hear from you. Thank you for strengthening our community.

Pink Peony Bouquet

A pink peony in full bloom displays countless delicate petals, and here the raindrops accentuate the delicacy. This pink bouquet is still growing on the bush, standing up to heavy rain and warm daytime temperatures.

#pink, #peonies, #may, #rain, #raindrops, #spring, #nature, #flowers, #mybackyard, #bouquiet, #sony
Do these lush pink peonies remind you of an old-fashioned petticoat?

Peony Season

How can peony season be nearly over? I came home to Pittsburgh after a week out of town, and the weather had nearly ruined all my pink and white peonies. Dozens of blossoms were falling apart and lying on the wet ground. I’m afraid it was a bad week for a gardener to leave town.

Just a few late bloomers have withstood the heavy rainstorms and stood tall for today’s photography.

#peony, #white, #may, #spring, #rain, #season, #sony, #depthoffield
On a cloudy day in between rain showers, this white peony shows off its delicate petals.

#peony, #peonies, #whiteandpink, #may, #spring, #rain, #raindrops, #mygarden, #season, #earlyspring
The white and pink peonies from the same bush share the spotlight.

Putting the Rosy in Roseate

I’m captivated by the light and dark pink wings of the Roseate Spoonbill. When I find one feeding, I track it with my camera for a several minutes and try to snap an image when the bird opens its wings to hop over a log or something. When the wings open, you can see so much more color.

#roseatespoonbill, #florida, #naples, #corkscrew, #corkscrewswampsanctuary,#birdseyeview, #birdphotography, #wadingbird, #whyitspink, #Pink
Roseate spoonbill sweeping its bill through the swamp to feed. I try to capture images of the bird with open wings when I can.

I was curious what makes the bird such a beautiful shade of pink, so I did a little research. Like the flamingo, the roseate spoonbill gets its pink coloration partly from the food it eats, such as the crustaceans that feed on algae. Typical food for the roseate spoonbill includes small fish, shrimp, mollusks, snails and insects. (Source: Nature Works website.)

I’ve notice that the roseate spoonbills are social birds like their relations, the ibis. Both species feed in groups. When I observed this bird in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, Florida, it was one of about eight birds feeding together. While the “Ding Darling” Nature Preserve in Sanibel Island is known for sightings of the spoonbills, I was not lucky enough to see them there this year (2018).

Variations on a Peony

The detail and delicacy of a spring peony is best described not with words, but with a photograph. The New York Botanical Garden has a long, luxurious peony bed, full of different colors and varieties. Visit the Botanical Garden on your next visit to New York City. Easily reached on the D train or by Uber. The gift shop is inspiring, too!

#NYBG. #newyork, #peony, #flowers, #spring, #pink
Delicate round petals with even more delicate veins slowly unfurl.

#NYBG, #newyork, #spring, #peony, #pink, #variety, #nature, #macro, #sony
This magenta peony with the bushy white center looks vibrant against its green leaves.

Interested in a print? Visit my website or leave me a message in a blog comment. Love to hear from you.

Vibrant Rhododendron

All year I look forward to that special week in May when the rhododendron bloom around my house, and color my garden shades of pale pink, magenta, lavender and deep purple. Somehow these hearty evergreens survive the bitter cold and snowy winters, and then announce loud and clear in May that they do love the Pennsylvania climate. Oh, if only those delicate blooms could last longer than they do.

#house, #spring, #rhododendron, #rhody, #victorian, #pennsylvania, #sewickley
The rhododendron have bloomed two weeks early this year around my house.

Here is a closer view of the blooms.

#spring, #may, #rhododendron, #nature, #sony
One bouquet of rhododendron, partly opened.

#spring, #may, #Ireland, #pennsylvania, #rhododendron, #bloom, #pink
While these rhododendron are blooming in my garden, I recall seeing lush rhododendron in Ireland, also in May. Who knew?

Flower textures

Nature can do a lot of different things with pink and orange. Just look at the different textures and shapes in these flowers from the Union Square Farmers’ Market in New York City.

#flowers, #pink, #orange, #shapes, #textures
These shapes remind me of brain coral I saw in the Great Barrier Reef.

#flowers, #farmersmarket, #orange, #pink, #yellow
Flower petals give way to a second round of tiny yellow blossoms. They resemble cactus flowers.

Want to see more from Farmers’ Markets? Check out these posts from Cathy:
Farmers’ Markets: Vietnam and Thailand  and

Farmers’ Market

 

Rose of Sharon by Sony

This morning’s heavy rain gave way to sunshine, and my Rose of Sharon bushes — both purple and pink — were dotted with raindrops. It was a good time to test out my friend’s Sony A7r. I purchased the Metabones Nikon adapter, so I could attach my Nikon lenses. For macro images of flowers, I love to use my 105mm Sigma lens. Because I was shooting hand-held and focusing manually, I raised the ISO to 1,000.

#roseofsharon, #bee, #bumblebee, #pollinate, #purple
This bumble bee coated with pollen was having a big day.

#rain, #petals, #roseofsharon, #July #pink, #buds
The petals reminded me of tissue paper. More buds wait off stage for their day.